Jose Mourinho Reportedly Wants Justin Kluivert Amid Anthony Martial Rumours

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho is reportedly interested in bringing Ajax forward Justin Kluivert to the club this summer, potentially casting more doubt over the future of Anthony Martial.

According to Jamie Jackson and Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian, contract talks between Ajax and Kluivert have stalled,  potentially opening the door for the Red Devils to snap up the 19-year-old.

"Kluivert asked for a sizeable rise to €1.5 million (£1.3 million) a year and a proportion of any future transfer fee, to be split between him and his agent, Mino Raiola," it said in the report. "Ajax's policy is to pay no player more than €1 million, so Kluivert demanded a significant signing-on fee to compensate."

Despite his age and relative inexperience, Kluivert wants to become the highest-paid player at the Amsterdam Arena.

Kristof Terreur of Het Laastse Nieuws provided further details of what the youngster is asking for:

The winger, who is the son of the former Netherlands, Barcelona and Ajax star Patrick Kluivert, has been catching the eye over the past couple of seasons and has firmly established himself as a crucial player for the Eredivisie side.

He started 27 games for Ajax in the Dutch top flight last term, grabbing 10 goals in the process. Given his age and the fact he operates on the left flank, it's an impressive return.

While Kluivert's father was a penalty-box striker, the youngster prefers to operate in wider areas. He's diminutive in stature but comes alive when he's on the ball, as he's able to sear past opposition players or dart infield and fire shots at goal.

As the FootballTalentScout account noted, Kluivert has already accomplished plenty in the early stages of his career:

United have a surfeit of left-wingers at the moment, with Alexis Sanchez, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard all adept at playing in the position.

Martial has starred for the team there this season, too. However, as the Guardian report noted, his long-term future at Old Trafford is in doubt having fallen out of favour recently. If Kluivert was to be signed by Mourinho, it's difficult to see where the Frenchman would fit in.

Bryn Lennon/Getty Images

Martial was left on the bench again on Thursday in the 0-0 draw against West Ham United.

Per Kris Voakes of Goal, the 22-year-old's game time has been limited lately:

Kluivert would surely be tempted by a move to United, although it would be easy to see him falling into the same pitfalls as Martial. With Sanchez at the club, he'll start the majority of matches in his preferred position, meaning the Dutchman may have to make do with cameos.

Contrast that with Ajax, which is a familiar club able to give the youngster regular games, and perhaps staying put would be most sensible for Kluivert—or at least moving to a team where he's given the chance to continue his exciting progression.